Tom Bennett wrote:
"JPG" wrote Not forgetting his cousins, Rît Hael and Hols Hael

In a similar vein, at school I knew an Isabella Bell. And we did have
Peter Sweet and Peter Green who each dreaded roll-call at assembly
(surname, followed by intial).

The worst example of naive parents had to be a Mr Wayne King, who worked
for British Rail. I met him for a brief spell when I was working in
London in the 1990s. A very jolly soul he was too, being particularly
practiced at pre-empting others when he was introduced.

- Tom.



Some names are self-inflicted. I heard that Michael Hunt, Anglia TV
forecaster 1962-85, changed his name by deed poll (from Peter?). Then
there was the Blankety-Blank contestant, with a forename of Hazel, who
had wed a man whose surname was Hazel.

Some parents pick a name they don't know how to pronounce. A girl my
mother knew used her middle name, Mary, because she didn't like her
first. Mother asked "what is it?" "Pen-elope." "Don't you mean
pen-el-o-pe?" "Ooh, that's quite nice!"


Graham